The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of the Compositae family. The new variety is named Helichrysum bracteatum.times.splendidum `Harvest Sun II` by the assignee, Bay City Flower Company, Inc. The inventor is Rodolfo Valdoz Bautista of Half Moon Bay, Calif., a citizen of the Philippines.
This new Helichrysum variety originated as a seedling. It was selected from the progeny of a controlled hybridization conducted by the inventor in a commercial nursery in the city of Half Moon Bay. Half Moon Bay is located in San Mateo County, in the state of California.
The inventor crossed Helichrysum splendidum (Thunb.) Less. and Helichrysum bracteatum (Venten.) Andr. to produce the new variety. The parent plants were unnamed, proprietary cultivars. Neither of the parents are patented. The new variety was selected for commercial development because of its unique flower head color and compact growth habit. The new variety is particularly suitable for commercial plant culture because of its long-lasting flowers and attractive coloring.
The characteristics of the new variety which in combination distinguish it from its parents and all other varieties known to the inventor are: the color of its flower head and bud, its resistance to the root disease Pythium, its puberulent and sparsely villous leaves, its compact growth habit, its ability to grow well in pots in which it can be sold, and the ease with which it can be forced to flower outside for sale in the autumn without growth regulators.
The coloring of the flower head of the new variety changes as the flower head opens revealing more bracts. The bud stage is darkest. The outermost involucral bracts of the bud are R.H.S. 167B (greyed-orange group) at their tips. As the bud opens, a first group of inner bracts become visible. This group of bracts has tip and rib portions that are R.H.S. 167B (greyed-orange group) but are otherwise colored R.H.S. 9A (yellow group). Buds that are just beginning to open have an overall appearance of R.H.S. 26A (orange group). As the flower head matures, the tips and middle portions of the outermost bracts become R.H.S. 167A (greyed-orange group). These bracts are visible on the underside of a fully-mature flower head. The middle bracts have tips that are R.H.S. 167B (greyed-orange group), but are otherwise predominantly R.H.S. 12A (yellow group). These bracts are visible on the upper side of the mature flower head. The innermost bracts are mostly one color: R.H.S. 12A (yellow group). Coloring of bracts on the upperside of the flower head gives the flower head a uniform appearance of R.H.S. 12A (yellow group) at maturity.
The new variety, when planted in the summer for sale in the autumn season, can be forced to salable product in 11 to 13 weeks under prevailing daylengths and outdoor conditions in Half Moon Bay, Calif.
The following table compares the new variety to the closest varieties known to the inventor, according to the new variety's distinguishing characteristics. The variety designated `1A93` is also a progeny of a cross between the unnamed, proprietary parent cultivars: Helichrysum splendidum (Thunb.) Less. and Helichrysum bracteatum (Venten.) Andr. The variety designated `Harvest Sun` is the progeny of a cross between the variety designated `1A93` and the parent plant of the new variety, Helichrysum bracteatum (Vent.). Andr. The individual designated `1A93` is a unnamed, propreitary cultivar that is not patented. The cultivar identified as `Harvest Sun` is the subject of U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,660.
H. brac- teatum `Harvest (general H. splen- Sun` character- didum USPP New istics) (parent) `1A93` 9,660 Variety Bract Various Involucral R.H.S. 4A Involucral Involucral color colors bracts at bracts at bracts at opening opening opening are are are predomi- predomi- predomi- nantly nantly nantly R.H.S. R.H.S. R.H.S. 12A. 22A. 12A. Upper Upper Upper involucral involucral involucral bracts bracts bracts when when when flower flower flower head head head is mature is mature is mature are are are predomi- predomi- predomi- nantly nantly nantly R.H.S. R.H.S. R.H.S. 12A. 9A. 12A. Bud color Various Predomi- R.H.S. R.H.S. Predomi- colors nantly 187B 26A nantly R.H.S. R.H.S. 175A. 26A. Disease Not resis- Resistant Resistant Resistant Resistant resistance tant to to to to to Pythium Pythium Pythium Pythium Pythium leaf puberulent tomentose puberulent puberulent puberulent surfaces and and and sparsely sparsely sparsely villous, villous, villous, main main main veins are veins are veins are hirsute hirsute hirsute Suitability Good Average Good Good Good for pot culture Ease of Generally Difficult Good Good Good forcing good Growth Generally Spreading Compact Compact Compact habit compact Flowering Long- Long- 7 weeks 7 weeks 7 weeks habit lasting lasting
The distinguishing characteristics are retained by asexually reproduced, successive generations. The inventor, at a commercial nursery in Half Moon Bay, Calif., has asexually reproduced the new variety through three successive generations by means of cuttings and has found that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed remain firmly fixed.